July, 1918 
77 
Z3be J^low^r (Brower 
WAYSIDE RAMBLINGS 
FALL CARE OF GLADIOLUS CORMS. 
The discussions in your magazine 
on advisabilty of cutting off Gladiolus 
tops at digging time have interested 
me. I have but a small collection but 
have experimented on all the different 
methods suggested in caring for them 
at the time of lifting and preparing 
them for winter storage. My experi- 
ence, therefore, may be of interest to 
your readers. 
If the tops were left on the bulbs the 
large grower would need a big addition 
to his storage place which would surely 
be a disadvantage even admitting that 
this were the better method. I do not 
think it is a good plan to bring the 
tops into the house if for no other rea- 
son than that the insect pests and their 
eggs may be concealed in the leaves. 
One year I left the tops on until they 
had dried and then cut them off before 
putting the bulbs on the shelves. The 
following spring we planted rather 
late owing to weather conditions and 
because of this delay quite a few of the 
bulbs had sprouted, every one of which 
was covered with grey lice. I had never 
had this trouble before nor have I had 
it since and I believe that it was caused 
by leaving the tops on as stated. 
As to leaving part of the tops on at 
digging time I can see no advantage in 
that, and then it is only a question of 
cutting all the tops off. When the 
bulbs are dug and the tops cut off 
close to the bulb, the bulb should be 
dried in the sun. This disposes of a 
great many risks of trouble for the 
next planting season. Where the top 
is cut off close to the bulbs, the bulbs 
take up very little space in storage, 
and they come through the winter in 
good condition for planting and there 
is very little tendency to sprout pre- 
maturely. 
Estelle M. Gilbert. 
SOME OF FRYER’S NEW IRISES. 
The early part of June I had the 
pleasure of visiting the nursery of W. 
E. Fryer of Mantorville, Minn. I was 
there most of the time for about three 
days. Credit must be given Mr. Fryer 
for being a splendid entertainer, for 
the things about the place, which he 
was willing to show me, were more 
than worth the time I spent there. 
The nursery in general looked very 
good but above all what struck my 
eye, were his beautiful Irises. Mr. Fryer 
has many thousands of seedlings of his 
own from which he selects the fine 
ones he is selling. The one which ap- 
pealed mostly to me was Fryer’s Glory, 
which surely is a beauty of much 
promise. When we first entered the 
field where this one was growing, I 
noticed it at once. I asked Mr. Fryer 
the name and was told it was Fryer’s 
Glory. I stood and admired it for a 
while then continued through the field 
seeing many more fine varieties, 
among them Mrs. W. E. Fryer, Willis, 
Kathryn, Clarence Wedge, and too 
many others to mention here. After 
we spent several hours looking over 
the Iris, I suggested that we go back 
and see Fryer's Glory again, for going 
back and seeing this variety several 
times a day is no time wasted. 
Each morning we were in the field as 
early as possible to see what new gem 
had come into existence that had never 
seen daylight before. 
My only regret was that I was un- 
able to stay long enough to see them 
all bloom. 
Anthony B. Kunderd. 
VARIETY DOUBLET. 
I have read Mr. Kunderd’s note in 
the January issue of The Flower 
Grower. I quite admit that I failed 
to discover any mention of it in his 
catalogues of 1916 and 1917. It would, 
however, have been interesting to read 
a note that the variety had been with- 
drawn for the reason now stated. 
May I mention two other varieties 
introduced by the same firm, K. P. 15 
and K. P. 30, neither of which can I 
find in the 1918 catalogue. Some firms 
make a note in a subsequent catalog 
showing why certain bulbs have been 
discarded by them. May I give one or 
two illustrations from a Daffodil cata- 
log before me? 
"M. J. Berkeley, omitted, being so shy 
a bloomer. 
C. W. Cowan, discarded 1910. 
Hon. Mrs. Barton, a rather delicate 
grower in some soils, but a lovely 
flower where it succeeds.” 
Such notes are helpful to the ama- 
teur, and create confidence between 
grower and customer. G. C. 
PEELING BULBLETS BEFORE PLANTING. 
When I began growing Gladioli in 
quantity 25 years ago I employed wo- 
men and girls to remove the hard outer 
shell at their convenience before plant- 
ing time. I found that if the inner 
delicate lining was punctured the bulb- 
let was likely to decay before planting. 
If bulblets are not allowed to become 
dry after digging the outer shells do 
no become so very hard. For handling 
small lots of bulblets I have found 
nothing so convenient as putting the 
bulblets in strong sacks made from 
burlap sacks, and the sacks packed in 
moist sand or moss. Anything to keep 
them moist. By bringing these into a 
warm temperature the bulblets will 
soon come into condition for quick 
growth. E. 
PROPAGATING GLADIOLI FROM ROOTS. 
I see by the December issue that a 
subscriber tried turning roots into 
sprouts and failed. Maybe he did not 
go at it right. It is distinctly a green- 
house proposition and the cut bulb 
must not be planted, but placed in 
moist pure sand and the root surface 
exposed to the light. c. M. s. 
Shipping Sample 
Delphinium Bloom. 
We are in receipt of some beautiful 
Delphinium flowers from Ralph E. 
Huntington, Painesville, Ohio. Never 
having seen Delphinium bloom shipped 
as these were and probably some of 
our readers being unfamiliar with the 
method used, we will describe it. 
The flowers are taken singly and 
simply flattened or pressed between 
strips of cardboard held in place with 
rubber bands and shipped in a strong 
ventilated paper box. It would seem 
that care needs to be taken in pressing 
to open the bloom so that the interior 
of the bloom will show flat against the 
cardboard. The samples sent by Mr. 
Huntington being in transit during 
cool weather have arrived in what we 
should call perfect condition, but he 
assures us that flowers pressed in this 
way will keep for at least a year. 
Photograph of quadruple hard shell bulblet, 
mention of which was made on page 27 of 
the March issue of The Flower Grower. 
Photograph furnished by A. E. Kunderd. 
We have recently heard from one of our 
subscribers in Australia stating that he has 
a duplicate of the freak above illustrated 
and that he has sent it to us for inspection. 
These freaks are interesting but of no con- 
siderable commercial value. 
To Preserve Roses. 
To keep Roses when cut, the stock ought 
to be virile to begin with, and the following 
are the main points in brief : 
Choose the strongest and healthiest. 
Cut early in the morning before the sun 
beats on the flower. 
Take the flower at a period when the 
petals are on the point of parting. Remem- 
ber they open up very quickly, and must not 
be allowed to open up materially on the 
plant, or the life of the flower will be short 
after cutting. 
Put in cold water, in a dark room — an 
ordinary cellar will do, of course 45° to 50° 
temperature would be ideal, but get as cool 
a place as you have available — not below 45°. 
Leave the flowers there 24 hours prior to 
use and they will live and carry much better 
than if brought into the living-room at once 
after cutting. 
When flowers are received, they ought to 
be placed in a dark, cool room for a few 
hours, to recuperate after travel, before en- 
tering on their trial stage in my lady’s par- 
lor. — Gardener’s Chronicle. 
One of our subscribers wants specific 
instructions for the dividing of Peony 
roots when they have become crowded 
and fail to bloom properly. Any help- 
ful suggestions along this line will be 
appreciated. 
